Long Island NY Slalom

[Claude Regnier]

maybe i'll try the GS not claude it's mb claude will KILL the GS it's from CANADA, dude
we have mountains, too

[Claude Regnier]

it's mb - i ran cones on sunday and i truly suck but i will see you in colorado - brining my board but no promises - i will cheer you on at least!

[Troy Smart]

Hey Justin.

I would gladly meet up with you for some slalom.
However, anything west of Westhampton and I'm lost except for 1 spot.
This place:

Ski Run Lane
Selden, NY 11784

It's probably about half way between us (probably closer to me).
Definately worth the drive. It's nice.
Or if you have a nice spot in Nassau that might work too.
Let me know.

[justin collins]

hey all. I live out in Nassua County, Long Island. Actually on the border of nassau/queens. Theres a parking lot near my house thats good for practicing. Anything farther out on the island. I'll commute!!
Justin
and my cell too 516 581 2262

[trish erickson]

Must be in our blood.

I ran cones today as well.
Gonna make a fool of myself on Colorado.

Keepiing myself alive!


Utah Trish

[Troy Smart]

I ran cones today and I suck.

Keepin' the forum alive.

Oh yea.

[Joe Iacovelli]

How old are you?

[Mike Ohm]

Troy, is Laura really in to that?

[Troy Smart]

Good advice.

No, I did not give my name.
I don't actually think it will be a problem anyway. The offices are nowhere near the hill. There are some maintenance shops further past but I don't think it bothers those guys.
I've only skated it 3 times though.
Once baseball ends (3 boys on 3 different teams. Every goddamn night of the week). Whoops, let me re-phrase: (3 boys on 3 different teams. Yea!)
Once that stuffs over I'll get myself a nice haircut, a D.A.R.E. T-shirt, wash the car and take the hill.
It would have been really nice to have permission though.
When I made that call I was full of Downhillbillie style stoke and just naturally assumed that the town would love to have us use the hill.

Live and learn.
From now on I'm a back door man.

[Art Pryde]

Troy, I hope you guys get to run the new hill. I really liked the quote:
"Litigious America hates responsibility and LOVES legal Precedents."
.
.
classic.

It's sad that "Take responsibility for your actions" has turned into " Take, take, take".

[John Gilmour]

I was late for a date- had to cut practice short.

Next time I'll have more time, you'll notice he didn't write me a ticket.

[Karl Floitgraf]

Yeah, never ask. We are doing the same thing with our freshly paved soapbox hill. It's a brand new spot for us so we are only holding practice sessions. We are slowly and surely building a presence. The people I would suggest talking to first are the local Soap Box group. These are the guys who got our spot repaved. I asked them who talk to in the government and how much it cost to put on their event. I got all the information I could want about the hill with out screwing up our chances. The info I got said we can definitely have a race there but it needs some serious cash on the start up end. Based on that info I knew we couldn't change the venue for the up coming race but we will be putting on an outlaw this summer to test the waters.



PS The only time the police ever busted us on residential streets for cone skating is when gilmour showed up(so almost never, it was a strange coincidence)

[John Gilmour]

ahhhh.....ehhhh.

Well, that starts an uneasy precedent.

You see ...young weed hopper...have I taught you nothing? Or perhaps the lessons have faded over the past 5 years.

Never ask. Never.

cuz it places the responsibility of remote disaster and lawsuits directly upon the person who said "Yes". So they always say "No"...even if skateboarding is allowed there-

Litigious America hates responsibility and LOVES legal Precedents.

Best way is just start skating there. Get kids riding it. Shoot video, force kids to wear pads to run the course and have the kids sign a waiver freeing the town of liability (good to show cops if there was a bust and you really were hassled) .

Point out the existing A"Skateboarding as hasardous sport LAW" that releases towns from lawsuits due to skateboarding. Involve some influential local parents.

Then point to the Dual usage of the hill. By the time they figure out you are there..... well you have about 6 months to a year of history skating there...perhaps with one regular cop who says

"I never saw you here, be careful".

Two seasons later, Post signs, hold an outlaw race, donate a portion of the cash to some local soup kitchen or center for autistic kids and you're golden- everyone wins.

With a safe long term track record and community usage- you are certain to secure it.

BUT....NOW.....----where you are now------>>after talking to "Joe I don't know about skateboarding as anything other than a bunch of dope smoking bench rail grinding graffitti vandals" guy, who had a preconcieved notion of kids with joints in their mouths, spray paint cans in the other grinding rails while bombing down hills holding onto cars on kick flipper lound boards.... Well He said "No". Which is ok.

There is one good thing.

You have officially absolved the guy you called from liability since he said "no".

So he can relax now. I hope you did not give your name.

So you can still skate there and hope not to get thrown out.

You know the drill..break in the site.

1st day. Set up run the hill for 45 minutes.
Leave for 2 hour lunch.
return for 1 hour.

(cop gets call- goes out, sees no one. Gets second call. Waits ..goes out sees no one. Use the special 3 Dot style for marking cones in dark chalk.)

2nd day

Same drill but always at different times of the day.

3rd day
Set up
1/2 hour skate
take off.
(cop tries to catch you...again misses you)

4th day

45 minutes... take off.

By this time...the cops are starting to ignore the calls. I always wanted to call in a bunch of bogus calls early the day before... and that morning and skate at night...

I think we had one bust at our Hampton's spot... right..was it just once??

But a hill means "YES" no matter what people say.

I mean...I don't think anyone has ever been arrested on the East Coast for slalom.

So skate- and race...and if busted during a race come back later and cut to a round of 4. Lol.

Make it look good. Pads, have one nice car there (as if- I.........am "law abiding", in my Mercedes...lol) but I am sure the good image helps.

If the cop says "leave"...leave instantly and don't come back that day..unless you have to finish a race.

Also tell the cop that there are like 20 more groups of skaters using the hill all the time. (He won't think that he has been frustrated coming to bust your group of guys) tell him that there are parents out here most days with strollers. if he thinks that there are a hundred kids using the place..... he might start to think that it is ok.

In the end. If it looks like the community has accepted it and likes it. You can ask permission again. But only for a charity contest, and you ahve to completely ignore the guy who you asked before and go above his head. because no matter what happens...the guy who you asked first will never change his mind..He has made it up already and it is hard to change the minds of people that have made it up. The very word skatebaording...scres them. "rollerboarding" sounds more community friendly. Or tell them that it is snowboard cross training. Anything but skateboarding.

You know.... we should get a police scanner...hmmm.

I should make up some "Skate for Juvenille Diabetes" t- shirts...perhaps that is what we should dedicate a race too this year.

Get some D.A.R.E. (Drugs Are Really Expensive??) stickers and stick them on magnets and put them on the car doors. Cops are just worried skateboarding comes with smoking dope and dealing drugs and broken beer bottles.

Look at how well the Needham Longboard club has done to eradicate that image. If the Needham kids weren't constantly bankrupt from buying racing gear, they would be on smack by now. Freebasing would kill their European tour budget......uh- though I hear at least one is going to Amsterdam to race in June. They even used up a budget for a two 4:20 parties to sponsor this site for a month...so slalom skateboarding is a positive thing. A bankrupt kid can only skate.

Cops just come to look for vandalism, graffitti, drugs and booze all of which were a Z-boy staples. And lets not kids ourselves...most slalom racers in their 50's still blow their beer budget on gear and if it weren't for Joe I. they would all be stone cold sober 360 days of the year.

Some D.A.R.E. sticker magnets, anti graffitti t-shirts, .....you don't have to go as far as christian rock t-shirts.

"No" Means "Yes" in America. This country was built on saying "No means Yes". didn't the British tell us "No"?

Germany...hmmmmmmm......well you could get arrested, fined, locked up, or shot if you run.

[Troy Smart]

Yea, it's sweet but has one catch...

No skateboards allowed.
I called the town of Brookhaven to ask about having a race.
They said no.

It went something like this:

Me: Hello, I recently became aware of the soapbox derby hill and am calling to find out the
possibility of perhaps using the hill for a race. A skateboard race.

Them: Skateboard race? There's no skateboarding allowed on that hill.

Me: Well, it's an absolutely perfect venue and I have attended many races in various parts of the country that were held on Soapbox derby hills. Could this be a policy that you might reconsider? Could I send you information on other races that were held on soapbox derby hills? Is it a question of insurance?

Them: No. The policy stands as it is. You could send information on other races but there is no skateboarding allowed on that hill. It is not a question of insurance it is just that skateboarding is not allowed on that hill.

Me: Is there anything that can be done to change that policy?

Them: You could try but there is no skateboarding allowed on that hill.

Me: How?

Them: I dont know. But what I do know is that there is no skateboarding allowed on that hill.


I got nowhere.

[John Gilmour]

you are the best East Coast hill hunter I've ever met- amazing
Maybe I will summer in the hamptons again to coach.

[Troy Smart]

Gonna start doing Wednesday evening slalom sessions starting this Wednesday, March 23 and continueing (hopefully) every Wednesday of the summer, weather permitting.
Start time is around 5:30 to 6:00 p.m.
Directions:

LIE exit 63 north, to Bicycle Path road. Left at the T. First left into Brookhaven town Ampitheatre parking lot. (huge, 6 lane entrance. can't miss it). Parking lot to the right is it.
This is a soapbox derby hill. Perfect pavement. Nice pitch.

C'mon out if you like. The more the merrier. Right now it's just me.
I've got lots of cones and a few extra boards.

[trish erickson]

Oooh, I might have to take a trip and visit my family in New York! That hill looks sweeeet! Sorry Troy, I just need an excuse to visit and you found one for me! LOL.

change the sheets for me!

Utah Trish

[Troy Smart]

Yes, it's a completely paved tarmac on either side of the course. No seams, transitions.
Peeling off to the right might be a little tough on the very bottom because there is less room but I actually did'nt try it nor did I "size it up" last Sunday.
I'll look closer this weekend.
Whatever. There is plenty of room for both racers to go left.
I'm kind of psyched. I've been to quite a few race hills and this definately compares to the best. The very best.

Got to do a 2007 outlaw at least.

[Wesley Tucker]

Troy,

Is that a completely paved tarmac to the left and right of the hill? And is there any seam or transition turning on to it?

If it's as good as it look, then I'm guessing run out is no issue as a skater can just turn into that parking and bleed off speed.

[Troy Smart]

It's only a wedding Terry.
Drop the bread maker at the table, grab a couple Mimosa's and Electric slide your way to the door.
No one will notice.
I think that it just might be the site of the "Old Farmingville Ski Bowl". Or not. It's hard to say since I have no idea what that was.

What's up Claude??
The hill IS sweet. I think I smell a 2007 Farm Outlaw brewing.

[T Whalen]

Troy,

Unfortunatley, my trip down to LI only has some really short "skate windows" and I won't be able to skate Sunday afternoon. However, I would definitely come down again to a race there!

Do you know if that is the old Farmingville SkiBowl site?

Have a good session on Sunday!

Terry

[Claude Regnier]

That sure looks like like a sweet spot. I'll have to do a mapquest and figure in some trips for next season.

how's it going? EH!

[Troy Smart]

How long?? I don't know exactly but it's long.
Runout?? Well, you're still carrying quite a bit of speed at the bottom but you can peel off in either direction.

I found it's location on a soap box derby website about a year ago and finally decided to check it out last week. I had no idea it was so good.
I rode it last Sunday with the kids and we all had a great time. Lots of other stuff to do there too.
They want to go this Sunday too. (I'm definately ok with that). Looks like the weather's going to be nice.
The closest town is Farmingville/Medford. It's about 45min or an hour from NYC. (Yes, on Long Island)
Terry, it's about 20 or 30min. from Westhampton and yes, my kids and I will be going there on Sunday. Probably early afternoon. Let me know if you want to come and I'll tell you where.

Rick, looks like you need to show that thing to some skater friends with strong backs and a pump.

[Eddy Martinez]

Nice Pool 66. A little murky, but nice pool.

[Eddy Martinez]

Nice Pool 66. A little murky, but nice pool.

[T Whalen]

Troy

Awesome looking hill! Is that out on eastern LI? I am going to be down there for a wedding in Westhampton Beach this Saturday/Sunday. If you are going to be doing any test riding - let me know!

Terry Whalen

[Rick Stanziale]

Look what I found......

[Joe Iacovelli]

Hard to tell;

How long
Run out

Can't believe you just found this! What's the closest town?

[Troy Smart]

View from the top.

[Troy Smart]

Look what I found......



Faster than it looks. Pavement is 9.9 out of 10. Lots 'O possibilities.

[Troy Smart]

Sunday is looking nice.
49* and sunny.

I plan on doing a little slalom in the afternoon in the Bridgehampton/Sag Harbor area.

Anyone else?

Email or PM and we'll set up a time.

[Troy Smart]

Every Thursday from now until we can't.
I don't know where yet since my old spots are no longer available but I'm sure I'll find something.
I'll post the location when I find it.

I'm also posting notes at the skatepark and all local skate/surf shops.

Tons of kids on longboards around here lately. Time to create a scene.

[Troy Smart]

Yea Joe...

That's the one. (putz).

And by the way I'm not mormon or "obtuse". (whatever that means. I'll have someone look it up later on account a I ain't so good with books and stuff.)

[Joe Iacovelli]

Kingpin,

Is that the one where John Gimour plays a washed up slalom skateboarder that finds a young Mormon protogee and trains him to be terrific, yet obtuse pro skater?

I love the scene where Gilmour milks the bull.

Joe

[Troy Smart]

Good movie.

Funny.

[Joe Iacovelli]

kingpin?

[Troy Smart]

If I were you I would'nt take my Radikals up to anything close to fast.

Trust me.

(ouch)

[John Gilmour]

You got warm weather already! It just snowed another 8 inches.

At least I have a new Madd 170 to ride.

[Troy Smart]

Never mind what I said about the Dragonslayer not turning as sharp as the Radikal.
More wedge did the trick.
Made it feel much better too.
How much wedge I don't know exactly. I jambed a couple 1/8" riser pad pieces under the wedge (standard wedges you get anywhere).
Basically wedged the bejesus out of it.

[Troy Smart]

Did some slalom today for about 3 hours.
Skated the new PP (Hybrid), Splitfire rear, Radikal front then switched to the Dragonslayer.
First time on both the Radikal and Dragonslayer.

The Radikal is all it should be. I heard someone describe it as "automatic" and that seems to fit perfectly.
Very precise and does what it should very well.

Switching to the Dragonslayer I noticed it did'nt turn as sharply and seemed quite a bit sloppier.
That may have been due to using it on a well worn Randall baseplate. The kingpin does'nt fit tightly into it's hole and kind of rattles around in there.
I think if I got it tight (JB weld or something), it would make a big difference.

But I did like it. A lot.

I think the spherical bearing on the kingpin of the Radikal makes all the difference in the feel of "preciseness".

At the end of the day I took a couple of runs down a fairly steep and long road on the same setup with the Dragonslayer in front and noticed that it was very stable.
This is a road that with no wind you can get to about 40mph if you tuck it.
Today there was a bit of a tail wind so I think I was definatlely near if not slightly over 40mph with no problem.
I do that road fairly often on a 40 sumtin inch pintail with Randalls, Avilas, and fast bearings.
Today was probably the fastest I have ever gone on that road. (at least it felt the fastest).
I think some extra speed was due to the Manx wheels I had on.
Anyway, once I got over the idea of bombing it on a short slalom board and relaxed a little I realised that it was really not such a big deal. That board definately can handle it.
Got to try it on the Radikals.

By the way, I'm pretty sold on Manx wheels after today.

And also, by the way...(Rick), I did'nt have to "turn it off when I left the room". It just sort of petered out all by itself.
I'm tired.

[Rick Stanziale]

turn it off when you leave the room

[Troy Smart]

Oh yea.... one more thing.

IT'S ON!!!! (maybe).

[Troy Smart]

OK.
Here we go again.

I have so much bitchin slalom gear that in order to justify it I have to actually use it now.
New Pistol(s) (one new, one on the way), Radikal trucks, splitfires front and back, wheels up the kazoo, bushings, bearings, blah ba dee blaah blaaah.

Manyana.

1:00.

Yes, I know it's late notice and that there will be a wind chill of 16 degrees. Just be there you Sissy/pansy(s). I'm pretty sure I will. (subject to last minute cancellation).

You know who you are.

[Troy Smart]

Spur of the moment slalom sesh happened yesterday.

Had to try out my new, Christmas Pistol. (nice).

Rust never sleeps.

Pretty out of control most of the time but a few runs were sweet, sweet, sweet.

I like my new Splitfire too. Seems more solid and grippier than the TTC I was using.

Looking forward to Rye.

[Dan Parrish]

Having just DOMINATED the "Northern Queens Regional Slalom Championship", (you must have heard of it) I celebrated my uncontested victory with a Beer in front of the PC and noticed the "Long Island Championship". I think I'm ready.

Troy, I made a right at the tall buildings and wound up in the Bronx- where some guys tried to take my skateboard!

Any more details on the location?

[John Gilmour]

funny my friend Neil (from Long Island) treated Joey's girl when she came into the ER.

The drive to win even more obscure races is strong.

I'd like to get out there- but I'm still seeing if I can get to MB this year to watch or to help Jack announce.

[Joe Iacovelli]

Two Words

Butta Fucco

[Troy Smart]

Go North until you see tall buildings then make a right.
Can't miss it.

[Rick Stanziale]

where is long island?

[Troy Smart]

I MAY, should the desire arise, be skateing around cones this Sunday.
Half assed, of course.
I'm calling it The Long Island Championships.
Please join me.
Bring beer.
I'm thinking 3 ish give or take.
Awards banquet will be at the Southampton Publick House immediately following. Or before if you like. I don't care.

IT'S ON!!!!